I'll Be Home For Christmas
by yramnerual
Summary: The second Christmas without Derek and Amelia is finally going home to New York for the Shepherd Family Christmas. It won't be the same without her brother but with Owen by her side, it will at least be bearable.
1. Chapter 1

Taking Owen's hand as they made their way through the airport, Amelia squeezed it a little too tight.

"Amelia, are you ok?" he chuckled as he adjusted his duffle bag on his shoulder. Owen had insisted on taking his girlfriend's suitcase as well but stubborn Amelia wouldn't let him.

"Yeah" she smiled realising what she was doing. Linking their fingers together gently, she smiled unconvincingly up at Owen "Derek used to be my buffer for these kinds of things. My sisters… Let's just say there's temptation to jump off the wagon. He used to step in when Nancy got a little too critical or when Lizzie starts asking the inappropriate questions"

"Isn't that what I'm here for?" Owen smirked nudging her shoulder gently. Pulling her over to a row of seats at the next gate they passed, he insisted she sit beside him. They had plenty of time to get to their gate so a little pit stop wouldn't hurt. "I'm really glad you asked me to come with you for this. I want to be there and stop you from trying to jump… or at least stop what is making you want to jump"

"Have I told you how much I love you for doing this? For giving up time with your own family… for me?"

"You are my family now Mia" he smiled as he leant in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Amelia was his family and the future he'd always hoped for.

Braving Seattle-Tacoma Airport on Christmas Eve of all days, Amelia was taking Owen home to New York to spend Christmas with her family. She'd received a phone call from her mother who was on the verge of tears almost begging her youngest daughter to come home for the holidays. It was the second Christmas without Derek but the first Carolyn could get all four of her girls together.

Last year, Amelia buried herself in work and just wanted to pass the day glove deep in someone's brain. She didn't want to make that time of year worse for her family especially when she was barely keeping it together. This year however, Amelia was in a good place with Owen, she was confident leaving her patients in the care of Blake and Edwards for a couple of days and she had no excuse not to go home.

To say that Amelia was apprehensive to go home and see her family was a major understatement. Without Derek, she felt even more of an outsider. She had always been the odd man out in the family and being ten years younger than her closest sister didn't help the matter either. To Nancy, Kathleen and Elizabeth, Amelia was still the stupid 17 year old kid they had to check into rehab the first time. They didn't see her as the incredible Neurosurgeon she'd become, they didn't see the accomplishments she'd achieved and the life she'd built after so much pain and heart ache. She was still the baby Shepherd.

The five hour flight from Seattle to New York was relatively quiet for the couple. Owen wasn't the best flyer and Amelia was happy to be his quiet comfort through the turbulence. For the many times Owen had been a tower of strength since they first got together, Amelia liked that she could do something in return. She could never repay him for everything he had done to save her but she would happily spend the rest of her life trying.

Their journey through Newark Airport was more hectic than the flight as the pair fought their way through the crowd to get to baggage claim and then toward the exit. "Maybe next time we try and get some more time off and not fly Christmas Eve" Owen laughed as he held tight onto Amelia's hand and his bag. He usually thrived on chaos when it was on the front line or in his ER but in the airport… he couldn't get out fast enough.

"There's going to be a next time?" Amelia smiled. The thought of spending the rest of her Christmases with Owen made her heart sing. Nothing made her happier than knowing he wanted the same thing.

Making their way toward the exit and the painfully long line that waited for them at the cab rank, the pair almost missed the 'Amelia and Owen' sign and the waving woman holding it.

"Mom?" Amelia gasped as she let go of Owen's hand for the first time since leaving Seattle and raced over to her mother. Carolyn hugged her youngest daughter impossibly tight, just so happy to have her there in her arms. It killed the matriarch to see her daughter's life unfold on a computer screen or over the phone with calls and skype their only communication since Derek's funeral. Finally letting Amelia breathe after a couple of minutes, Carolyn stepped back and took in everything about her daughter; the bouncy new haircut, the healthy glowing skin and the bright smile she'd yet to wipe away.

"It's so good to see you baby girl"

"I've missed you" Amelia smiled as she took her mother's hands in hers. Feeling Owen by her side, she beamed up at him "Mom, you remember Owen?"

"It's nice to see you again Major Hunt" Carolyn smiled warmly before pulling the ginger haired man into an unexpected hug. Having met him a few times on her visits to Seattle, she was happy to see a stronger and happier man in front of her now.

"You can let go now Mom" Amelia laughed seeing how awkward her boyfriend was in the embrace. Owen was the selective type when it came to affection. He usually reserved it all for Amelia. As Carolyn let Owen go, Amelia instantly took his hand which did not go unnoticed. "What are you doing here? We were just going to get a cab to the house"

"Nonsense" Carolyn laughed and led the pair toward the parking structure "I wasn't going to let you two pay an obscene amount for a cab when I could come and get you myself"

"Thankyou" Owen began "And thank you for letting me spend the holidays with you and your family"

"Of course. I would have been disappointed had Amelia not invited you"

Amelia held back a laugh as Owen shot her a 'would you look at that, your Mom loves me' kind off an expression. It didn't surprise the youngest Shepherd in the slightest that her mother already adored Owen, what was not to like?

"Now I will warn you both, it's going to be a little crazy at the house" Carolyn began with a laugh "Nancy, Patrick and the kids got in this morning and Kate and Lizzie have been cooking all day. I asked everyone to stay tonight so we could have Christmas morning with all the kids"

"Wait, everyone?" Amelia questioned. 'Everyone' in the Shepherd family added up to about 23 people and even in Carolyn's big house, it would be a squeeze.

"Except Meredith and the kids of course" the elder Shepherd sighed. She had tried to get Meredith to join them but had no luck convincing her "Did you see her before you left?"

"She drew the short straw having to work this Christmas. Meredith and Maggie were putting together a Christmas dinner for the other surgeons who had to work" Owen answered for Amelia. After not working the Christmas before, Meredith was just facing an unlucky roster. They all tried to alternate giving everyone time with their family over the holiday season.

"I have a stack of Christmas cards Zola and I made together to hand out. She wanted me to make sure Santa came to her cousins like he would visit her" Amelia added. Upset that she wouldn't be there to celebrate Christmas with her nieces and nephews, Amelia made sure she spoilt them before she left making sure they would know how much she would miss them.

Their chatter continued for the rest of the ride out to the Shepherd home. A beautiful colonial style house, it was just outside of the city where the grass was a little greener and the air a little fresher. The familiar snow covered trees calmed Amelia's racing mind as they drove toward her childhood home. She was still apprehensive to spend the next couple days in such close quarters with her sisters but with Owen by her side, Amelia was confident that she would get through it ok.

 **Your thoughts?**

 **Part two to come soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you ready for this?" Amelia laughed as she took Owen's hand and followed Carolyn from the car up to the house. They could hear the chatter and laughter of the 20 odd members of the Shepherd family from the porch. Growing up in the chaos, Amelia wasn't fazed but for Owen who only had his Mom and his sister, it was going to be a bit of a shock to the system.

Making their way inside, they'd only just managed to put their bags down before it began. Six year old Paige was the first to spot them and broke out in a run before leaping into her Aunt's arms.

No matter how Nancy, Kathleen, Elizabeth and even Derek felt about Amelia, they never relayed that to their kids. The youngest Shepherd was beyond thankful to her siblings for allowing their kids to form their own opinion of their Aunt Amelia. After hurting her siblings so much over the years, Amelia wouldn't do that to her nieces and nephews. She never wanted them to know her as the junkie and never wanted them to see that side of her. She may not always be around especially for her nieces and nephews on the East Coast but she was always checking in over the phone or skype. While she didn't have amends to make with them, she just worked to keep them proud of her.

"Aunty 'Melia" Paige beamed as Amelia twirled around with her niece held tight in her arms. Placing an overdramatic kiss on the six year old's cheek, Amelia set her down on the ground.

"You've grown so much!"

"I'm in Kindergarten now!"

"No way?!" Amelia gasped. Paige grabbed Amelia's hand and pulled her through the house toward the kitchen. Owen followed closely taking in everything about the Shepherd home. He'd heard stories from Derek but had yet to see it for himself.

The Shepherd home was everything Owen hoped for in a future home. The snow boots and jackets belonging to a multitude of children hanging by the door, the handmade patchwork blanket draped over the couch and the photos hung on every wall and standing proudly on every shelf. He could see himself and Amelia growing old together in a home like this with kids and grandkids under foot.

"Mom! Mom! Aunty 'Melia's here!" Paige announced as she pulled Amelia into the kitchen to see Lizzie and Kathleen cooking away. By far the best cooks of the family, Elizabeth and Kathleen took over the role of preparing Thanksgiving and Christmas meals from their mother years ago.

"Amelia" Lizzie smiled brightly as she embraced her youngest sister warmly. A Pediatrician, Lizzie had the kindest and most forgiving heart of the Shepherd family. She never held a grudge for long and always had hope for Amelia despite her relapses. Growing up, it was Lizzie and Derek that took care of their youngest sister when their mother was working hard to raise them all on her own. Amelia's fall into drugs and her relapses through her recovery tore at Lizzie's heart but she would always celebrate her little sister's triumphs.

"You look fantastic" she smiled as she stepped back and surveyed her little sister "I've always envied your metabolism"

"Might be more because I'm always on my feet at work and always working" Amelia laughed. She was thankful for her sweet reunion with her sister when she knew Kathleen and Nancy wouldn't be so kind.

"How are you going taking on the extra work?" Kathleen asked from the kitchen counter where she was chopping vegetables. She could never shake the Psychiatrist that she was and Amelia spent most of her time avoiding her older sister's constant analysis.

"Good" Amelia answered "It's been difficult explaining to some of Derek's patients the situation but they've been understanding"

"And you're doing ok? Feeling ok?" Kathleen continued. She couldn't help but sound like she was sitting in her office with one of her patients.

"That's Katie for 'how's the recovery going… again'" Nancy quipped as she entered the kitchen with a bottle of wine in her hands.

"Nancy!" Kathleen gasped angrily at the eldest Shepherd. While Kathleen may not have been her little sister's biggest supporter over the years, she was working on being more understanding. She knew addiction was a terrible disease that took a lot of strength to overcome "I didn't mean that, Amelia"

"Good to see you too Nance" Amelia seethed only to be calmed by the gentle hand on her lower back from Owen. That simple connection dampened the fire building within the young neurosurgeon, bringing her back down to calm.

"Can I offer either of you a glass of wine?" Nancy asked as if Kathleen had never snapped at her. The eldest Shepherd only saw the flaws in her little sister and wondered why their siblings even bothered to indulge Amelia. Nancy had no faith her sister would stay clean given her history.

"Did I see the boys out shoveling the yard? I might go re-introduce Owen" Amelia answered plastering the best smile she could muster and took Owen's hand. Making her way through to the back yard, she ignored Lizzie calling her back. It was times like this that Derek would have shot Nancy down or changed the subject. It was times like this Amelia missed her brother.

Stopping just inside the back door, Amelia took a few deep breaths just to calm herself down. "Amelia" Owen tested softly. He could see anger radiating off the young woman and was so incredibly proud of her restraint. The Amelia that Nancy chose to remember would have taken that bottle of wine and hidden away in her bedroom. That wasn't the Amelia Owen knew and loved.

"I'm ok" she smiled silently thanking him for his presence. There was no way she would have gotten through this visit without him and they'd only been there a few minutes. Owen pulled her into a gentle hug feeling her relax with every passing moment.

"Hey Aunty Amelia" a little voice sung from beside the couple making them step away from one another. Looking down, they both saw Amelia's eight year old niece Chloe smiling brightly back at them. "Do you want to build a snowman?"

"Only if they give warm hugs!" the young doctor laughed

"Oh no!" Tanner, Kathleen's youngest son groaned loudly. He had come to hate the tune in which his cousin was now happily humming "Don't get her started!"

"I'm confused" Owen laughed. Amelia on the other hand wasn't, she had watched Frozen a few too many times with Zola who was suitably obsessed with the Disney movie.

"Owen this is my niece Chloe, you remember Paige and nephews Tanner and Harrison who are all going to help us build snowmen" Amelia smirked as she got excited high fives from both Chloe and Paige.

"Do we have to?" Tanner and Harrison chimed in unison. The 12 and 14 year olds were sick of hearing the songs from Frozen especially when their cousins sang them at every chance they got.

"Y'know, three on three are good snowball fight teams…" Owen chuckled trying to coax the boys into coming outside. With that peaking their interest, they grabbed their coats and raced outside closely followed by their cousins.

"A snowball fight?" Amelia smirked "You're going down Soldier boy"

"Oh we'll see about that" he winked and made his way outside.

 **Your Thoughts?**


	3. Chapter 3

By the time the first snowball was thrown, almost all of Amelia's 9 nieces and 5 nephews here on the East Coast had joined in the battle. Husbands Eric, Mark and John joined the boy's team to even it up but the girls were quick and crafty, not letting them win. Chloe, Paige and Amelia all ganged up on Owen while the other girls took down their brothers, fathers and cousins. They had more fun pelting the balls of powder at one another than keeping score and were all soon soaked to the bone.

When they were all called in for dinner after an exhausting but fun battle of the snowballs, Amelia kept her distance from her eldest sister. She and Owen helped Carolyn with the kids so the youngest Shepherd wouldn't be tempted to snap. Nancy always had a way of pushing Amelia to the breaking point but this Christmas, Amelia wouldn't allow it. She wanted this to be a good trip with Owen, a nice time spent with her family, she wasn't going to ruin it by indulging Nancy in a fight.

Despite Paige and Chloe being the only two that still whole heartedly believed in Santa, it was a tradition for all the kids to help set out the cookies, milk, carrots and letters to Santa. If nothing else, it kept the innocence and pure joy of Christmas alive as the kids began to grow up. Amelia and Owen took the opportunity to sneak away upstairs and wrap all the presents they'd brought over from Seattle. On one of their few days off before the holiday season, Owen and Amelia braved the mall to buy presents that they'd left under Meredith's tree for their family and friends at home as well as presents for everyone in New York. Amelia's suitcase had been filled with presents while she snuck her clothes into Owen's duffle bag.

"I stuck a name to all the presents so they'll be easier to tag" Amelia smiled as they walked into her childhood bedroom where they were staying and knelt down beside her suitcase. Owen dropped an armful of wrapping paper on the bed that Carolyn had given them to use before flopping down on the bed himself. He was exhausted from the snowball fight and full from Kathleen's amazing Minestrone Soup and Cherry Pie they'd had for dinner.

"Don't fall asleep on me now old man" she laughed and began stacking the presents on their bed ready to wrap. Sitting down on the bed beside Owen, she laid her head on his chest with a smile.

"Keep that up and I will fall asleep" he chuckled as he ran his hands through Amelia's curls gently. "It's been a good afternoon, exhausting but good"

"This day would have panned out very differently if you weren't here with me. I love you"

"I love you too" Owen smiled and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head "I'm glad I'm here with you"

The pair laid together on the bed for a few more minutes before the need to get the presents wrapped and under the tree became too much. The kids would no doubt be up at the crack of dawn to see what had been left for them by the fat man in red and the rest of the family. Amelia pushed herself up to sit cross legged on the bed to begin wrapping. The sooner they got this done, the sooner they could get to bed.

As they were getting through the last few presents, they heard a knock at the door before Chloe's little head poked out from behind the door. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she didn't wait to be invited in before running over to the bed and climbing into Amelia's lap.

"What happened Chlo?" Amelia asked softly as she ran her hand over Chloe's dark locks. Chloe was a Shepherd through and through with her bright blue eyes, dark chocolate curls and fresh, pale skin. She was the splitting image of her mother and especially Amelia when she was that age.

Chloe pulled her Olaf stuffed toy onto her lap with a sad sigh "Max ripped Olaf's head and Sarah said that you fix brains so I thought you might be able to fix him?"

"Of course I'll fix him for you" Amelia smiled and hugged her niece gently. "Owen, could you grab the sewing kit from the second drawer of the desk for me please? It might be the third drawer, I don't remember"

Doing as he was asked, he found the sewing kit and handed it to Amelia. "Chloe, I could use some help tying bows on these presents. Think you could give me a hand while Olaf gets his stitches?"

Without a word, the 8 year old left her toy in the safe hands of her Aunt before climbing over to Owen to help him. Amelia watched the sweet interaction between Owen and Chloe as he tied the bow with the aid of her finger holding it securely in place. Her heart melted knowing what an incredible father Owen would be one day. Amelia got to work sewing up Olaf's neck using her usual surgical stitches. Her mother had taught her to sew as a child but surgical stitches were so much easier now that she'd had so much practice. The trio worked in silence until Olaf was stitched up and all the presents had bows and tags.

"Olaf needs a bandage to protect his stitches for a while. I think a bow might do the trick" Amelia smiled as she picked up a leftover piece of blue ribbon and tied a bow around the toy's neck. "Good as new"

"Thank you Aunty Amelia" the eight year old smiled and did her best to try and pull both Owen and Amelia into a hug. The much brighter little girl quickly returned to her sad sulk as she heard footsteps bounding up the stairs like she knew who it would be. Making their way past Amelia's door were Tanner, Harrison and Chloe's 13 year old brother Max.

"Max? Could you come in here please?" Amelia called. Max leaned on the doorframe with his arms crossed and a brooding expression on his face. "Could you come in here and apologise to your sister please?"

"What for?" he snapped.

"For almost tearing the head off her toy!"

"But she was singing those stupid songs with Paige again" Max groaned trying to defend himself "She sings them all… the… time"

"I… don't… care" Amelia sung back at her nephew "You hurt your sister's feelings and you need to apologise"

"Aunty Amelia…"

"Max…"

"Sorry Chloe" Max sighed shuffling his feet. Chloe curled up in Amelia's lap just nodding at her brother in acknowledgement. Amelia recognized how similar Chloe and Max's relationship is to how she and Derek were at similar ages. Like Derek, Max took advantage of being able to tease and mess with his little sister but still having her back when it really came down to it.

"Thank you Max" Amelia smiled. She insisted both Max and Chloe went to bed otherwise there would be no presents to open in the morning. The siblings wished them a goodnight before running off to bed.

"You handled that… like a Mom" Owen smiled as he wrapped his arms around Amelia's waist pulling her back to lean on his chest. Resting her hands on top of his, Amelia linked their fingers together.

"Don't sound so surprised" she laughed rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand.

"I'm not surprised actually. You're a natural" he smiled. Contemplating asking the question on the tip of his tongue, he decided to just bite the bullet "Do you want more kids?"

"I want a lot of kids, a big noisy family" Amelia smiled looking up at her boyfriend gauging his reaction. When a smile broke across his face, she let out a silent sigh of relief. "With bright blue eyes, flame red hair and Neurosurgeon hands"

"Neurosurgeon hands?"

Amelia lifted their joined hands and showed Owen his own strong and bulky hands. They were good for trauma but weren't as fine as Amelia's. "Our kids will have my hands"

"Our kids…" he tested liking the way it rolled off the tongue "They will be as beautiful and talented and brilliant as you are. They will be perfect"

 **Your Thoughts?**

 **As always, you can find me on tumblr (yramnerual)**


	4. Chapter 4

Taking up residence on the window seat away from all the action, Owen and Amelia were happy to just watch the family open their presents. With steaming mugs of coffee in their hands and pastries floating around, they were quite content in each other's arms. The kids raced around, high on sugar and the excitement of all their presents adding to the atmosphere of Christmas morning in the Shepherd home.

With Amelia's back pressed against his chest, Owen ran his free hand over her shoulder and down her arm gently. Repeating the motions, he only broke the pattern when he pulled a small box from his pocket and set it on her lap. "Merry Christmas Amelia"

Turning her head, Amelia pressed a soft kiss to his collarbone with a smile. She pulled a similar size box from the pocket of Owen's sweatshirt that she'd stolen before they'd left Seattle and handed it to him. "Merry Christmas Owen"

Amelia set hers and Owen's coffee mugs down on the side table before sliding her finger under the tape and began unwrapping her gift. Pulling the paper away, she opened the box to reveal a beautiful antique sapphire necklace. The deep blue of the teardrop stone glistened as it caught the lights of the candles around the room. With simple gold accents, it's delicate beauty held a lifetime of memories Amelia hoped she'd be able to share.

"Owen" she gasped "this is beautiful"

"You don't have to wear it…" he chuckled and earned a swift dig in the ribs from his girlfriend before she turned in his arms to face him. "It belonged to my Grandmother" Owen smiled as Amelia's face softened from her playful glare to one of pure affection. "When she passed, she promised Megan her engagement ring while she left this to me to give the woman I wanted to spend my life with"

"Oh Owen…" Amelia smiled not knowing what else to say, a rare feat for the chatty surgeon.

He leant down, their noses brushing gently before he placed a sweet and gentle kiss to her lips "I want to spend the rest of my life with you and we might not be quite ready for marriage but when we are, I will be honoured to make you my wife"

The tears that had threatened to fall could no longer be stopped as much as Amelia tried. Owen wiped the tears away with a guilty smile. He didn't mean to make her cry but to know how she felt about their relationship was present enough this holiday season. Surprisingly the pair remained unnoticed by the rest of the family as Amelia sniffed back the tears with a soft laugh. She was not usually such an emotional person but Owen's words sent a wave through her that she just couldn't keep at bay.

Amelia pulled the necklace from it's box and held it out for Owen to put around her neck. As he closed the clasp, he sent a shiver down her spine with a kiss to the back of her neck.

"Maybe I should have opened your present first" Owen laughed as Amelia settled back into their previous embrace with her back against his chest. Her tears had subsided but a gentle hand held onto the stone and the power of her boyfriend's words.

"We'll see" she chuckled and insisted he opened her gift.

Ripping the paper eagerly, Owen hesitated for a minute before opening the box. Expecting something completely different, he saw a set of keys.

"Keys?"

"I bought the Dream House, Derek's house" Amelia smiled "You can stay in the trailer if you'd like but I bought it for us. You can't reach the toaster from the toilet but it has a solid roof and it's more of a grown up home"

"Amelia…" Now it was his turn to be lost for words.

"Derek had so many hopes and dreams built into that house, it was just as much his life's work as his surgical career" she continued "Meredith gave us her blessing. She can't think of anyone better to give that house the life and the family it was built for"

"I don't know what to say…" he smiled as he twirled the keys around his finger. "I'll sure miss that trailer"

"I won't" Amelia laughed. As much as she loved being with Owen, they were definitely outgrowing the trailer. The fights for the tiny mirror and endless knocks to the head never seemed to end so a more grown up house was naturally the next step. If he was promising marriage in their future then she was promising multiple bathrooms and a couch that fits more than one person.

"I thought you loved the trailer" Owen joked. While the lack of space in the trailer meant he spent more time pressed up against his girlfriend, he longed for a proper kitchen and even a coffee table.

"No, I love you and so I tolerate the trailer… Sorry, tolerated"

"Ha ha"

"Now we can get that puppy!" Amelia gasped as her eyes lit up at the thought. She wanted to fill that house with the sound of tiny feet running around and would happily start with a puppy… or two.

"Who's getting a puppy?" Carolyn laughed catching the last of her daughter's conversation. She had been watching Amelia and Owen for the last few minutes and was overjoyed to see the happiness beaming from them both. Carolyn had never seen her youngest daughter as happy as she was in that moment and she was blessed to witness what could only be the beginning of an amazing future for them both.

"Me if I can convince Owen" Amelia smirked and shifted on the window seat so Carolyn could join them.

Carolyn laughed and sat down "You might as well give in now Owen. You won't win this battle"

There was no wiping the bright, ear to ear smile that had burst across Amelia's face. She knew she would get her way but having her mother's endorsement just confirmed it. They'd go back to Seattle, move in to their beautiful house and adopt an adorable little puppy to round out their perfect little home.

"Alright, fine" he sighed with a laugh "But you are toilet training him"

"Yes dear"

Shaking her head with a chuckle, Carolyn could sit there and listen to them banter for hours. Lighthearted and full of love, there was no doubt in her mind that Owen would be a part of their ever growing family for many years to come. Getting back to what she'd come over to do in the first place, Carolyn handed Owen and Amelia a small, beautifully wrapped package each.

"Carolyn, you didn't need to get me anything. Letting me celebrate with your family is present enough" Owen insisted. If Carolyn didn't adore him already, his selfless Prince Charming manners did the job. Brushing him off, she pushed them to open their presents. Together, they each pulled out a brand new scrub cap each.

"I really hope neither of you are still wearing those caps you were last time I was in Seattle. They were starting to look a little worn out"

Owen and Amelia looked each other knowing what caps Carolyn meant and that they were in fact still wearing them. They had been meaning to get new ones… eventually.

The new scrub cap in Owen's hand was a navy and deep blue camouflage print that Amelia knew would bring out his eyes in the best way. Like she needed another distraction when she was in surgery with him. Amelia's had math equations collaged all over it that she'd probably try to solve between surgeries. She could hear Karev and his 'smartass' jokes already.

"They're great Mom, thank you" Amelia smiled and pulled her mother into a warm embrace "We'll be the most stylish at Grey+Sloan"

"I have another for you to take back to Meredith. I was torn between a few fabrics to make hers out of"

"Ah…" Amelia stammered "Meredith has actually been wearing Derek's ferry boat scrub cap you made him years ago. It really suits her"

Carolyn smiled sadly at the mention of her late son. Holidays like Christmas weren't the same without her only boy and as much as she tried to busy her mind with the kids or just about anything else, something was still missing… Someone was still missing. Sadly it was a familiar feeling, that loss. She had been feeling it since the day her husband was killed nearly 30 years ago. Nothing dampened that pain of life without Christopher and now life without Derek, it was almost unbearable. It was her daughters and her grandchildren and her continually growing family that got her through each and every day. It was them who reminded her of the blessings she still had in her life.

 **To be continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

"Alright everyone, grab a plate! Christmas dinner is ready" Kathleen called out from the doorway of the living room. The family had been floating between the living room or out in the snow throughout the day enjoying their time together. Each of the kids had been in and out of the kitchen since they opened presents to steal Carolyn's famous Christmas cookies as they came out of the oven… followed by all their parents as well. Despite having been gently pushed from the kitchen by Kathleen and Lizzie, Carolyn refused to give up making her cookies. They'd always been Derek's favourite tradition as a child and now that he was gone, she wanted so desperately to keep it going. She had spent a lot of the day teaching Amelia, Kathleen's eldest daughter 19 year old Sarah as well as Nancy's youngest 13 year old Georgia so that they might continue on the tradition one day.

"Can we sit anywhere or is there a kids table?" Tobias, Nancy's eldest whined as he emerged from the kitchen with a plate full of food. At 21 and Pre-Med at Yale, he was hardly a child anymore despite still acting like it sometimes. As much as it pained Nancy in particular, Tobias was shaping up to be the new wild child of the Shepherd family. Amelia was happy to be rid of the crown but not at the expense of her nephew. Tobias was smart, entitled and thought he was invincible; a dangerous combination for anyone, especially a Shepherd. Nancy hoped that if her son was to take after his Aunt Amelia in any way it would be with the drive and determination she built when she began Med School. Amelia stayed clean, worked hard and rounded out the Dr. Shepherd quintet.

"Sit wherever" Carolyn laughed "We'll mix it up this year"

"Sweet" he smirked and parked himself as close to the liquor cabinet as possible.

Standing off to the side with Owen to let everyone in first, Amelia made a note to pull him aside before they left in the morning and maybe suggest a better path to take than the destructive one he seemed to be heading for. She knew for a fact what that life could lead to and never wanted that for Tobias. He was a good kid.

"Can I sit next to you and Uncle Owen?" Paige asked pulling on the sleeve of Amelia's cardigan. Looking down at her niece, she couldn't wipe the smile that hearing 'Uncle Owen' brought to her. She could feel her boyfriend's hand tighten around hers at the endearment and didn't need to see his face to know how he felt.

"Of course you can Sweet Girl" Amelia smiled "Save us a seat, ok?"

"Ok!" the six old beamed before skipping off with her plate to find them three seats at the five tables Carolyn had set up to accommodate everyone.

"Uncle Owen" Owen tested, liking the way it sounded much like he had when Amelia talked about 'Our kids' only the night before. "I like it" he chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Amelia's waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. She was at the perfect height that he didn't have to bend and while it was trivial, it only made Owen adore her more; they fit together like a glove.

"I would apologise for the 'Uncle Owen' comment from my daughter but your faces make me think it's not necessary" Lizzie laughed having the same idea as he sister and staying out of the way until everyone else had gotten their food. She couldn't help but hear her daughter's comment and see the joy radiating from her little sister and boyfriend as a result. "Is there something you two want to tell me? A ring in the Christmas stocking this year?"

Amelia held her left hand up her sister with a smirk showing her the bare ring finger "Owen was the lucky recipient of a ring this Christmas". Looking between the pair, Lizzie was confused, checking the redhead's hands and seeing no jewelry "A keyring" Amelia chuckled.

"A key ring? Come on Aims, please tell me you forked out for more than just a key ring for this lovely man" Lizzie sighed immediately assuming the worst.

"Excuse me Elizabeth" Amelia laughed "There were keys on that keyring. I bought him a house. More specifically, I bought him Derek's house"

Lizzie's jaw dropped. She was not expecting that. Having spoken to Meredith a few weeks previously, Lizzie knew that the house was under contract; that she had finally found someone to make it a home again. She never imagined it would be Amelia. She couldn't be happier that it was Amelia. It seemed silly now to think of anyone but Amelia and Owen raising a family in that house knowing how close she and Derek had become in the last few years of his life. It seemed so fitting.

"Guess you'll have to make an honest woman out of my baby sister now that you've got the dream house" Lizzie pointed toward Owen. He knew her comments were all in jest but he had every intention of doing as she said. "I'm really happy for you guys"

Pulling Owen's arms from around her waist, Amelia stepped toward her sister and enveloped her in a tight hug. Doing a terrible job at holding back her tears, Amelia poured a lifetime of emotion into a single embrace.

The youngest Shepherd feared the worst for this Christmas. She was scared that she would do something stupid like she usually did and ruin everything like she usually did. This Christmas was a far cry from the scenarios she'd spent the entire flight from Seattle making up in her head. Amelia knew she may never see eye to eye with Nancy but the love she felt from everyone else was so overwhelmingly incredible. It was a feeling Amelia didn't recognize and wanted to hold onto it forever.

Without a word spoken between them, the two sisters communicated a multitude of love, understanding and support in that one embrace. The bond they always had was only growing stronger and without a doubt would be a tough one to break.

This was more than Amelia could have asked for, to have a sense of pure happiness after the darkness that had shrouded her for so long.

 **The end!**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this and would love to know if you'd like to see more future Omelia fluffiness spin off from this.**


	6. Next Christmas

**After the last episode of Grey's I think we all need some fluffiness to cheer us up. Here is a little snapshot of a year later for Owen and Amelia's first Christmas at the Dream House.**

"I'm just waiting for the call" Amelia sighed softly.

"There won't be a call, Kepner said she'd try her best not to call" Owen assured her.

"It's Christmas, Owen. Trauma's favourite time of year. You'll get called into work and I will be left with all of this"

"There won't be a…" he began only to be interrupted by his phone going off. Ignoring the 'I told you so' expression gracing his fiancé's face, the redhead, pulled his phone from his pocket to check the message. Sighing softly, he was relieved it wasn't the hospital "Not a trauma, just the car company telling me your Mom and the rest of the Shepherd Army are on their way from the airport"

"Army?" she laughed. Standing up from the recliner she'd been perched in for the last hour and making her way over to her fiancé, Amelia leant on the kitchen counter beside him "Tell me again, who invited my entire family to Seattle for Christmas?"

"I'm going to say… Ava?" Owen chuckled and looked down at the 8 week old little girl cradled safely in his fiancé's arms. The invitation to the Shepherd family had been extended before this little one was even thought of but now that she was here, it was the perfect opportunity for her to meet the family.

"You do not get to blame the baby!"

-x-

Amelia and Owen had taken a few giant leaps since flying back to Seattle after their Christmas with the Shepherd family. They'd moved into Derek's house, made it their own and while they may not have gotten a puppy just yet, they got something so much better; a beautiful, healthy little girl. Ava Megan Shepherd-Hunt was born with ten perfect fingers, ten perfect toes and a good set of lungs. With bright, sparkling blue eyes and the faintest hint of red curls gracing the top of her tiny little head, she was the perfect mix of Owen and Amelia.

Ava's arrival only cemented the visit of Amelia's mother, sisters and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews. It only seemed logical (or so Amelia was told) to have Meredith and the kids as well as their friends at the hospital join them for the holiday season. It was a monumental undertaking for Amelia who was only just getting good at cooking spaghetti let alone a Christmas dinner for almost 40 people. Thankfully her sisters, Maggie and April were all lending a hand but that didn't dampen the stress that was building in the new Mom.

-x-

"Little Miss is fed, changed and burped. She should sleep through the 10,000 cuddles she's about to get" Amelia laughed as she carried her little girl out from the nursery to the calm living room. In a few minutes, their house would become an explosion of family they could only prepare so much for.

Amelia was excited to see her family and spend this time together but she still couldn't shake her fear that it would all go horribly wrong. If Owen got called into work, if she was left to try and cater for all these people, if something happened with Ava, if all hell broke loose, Amelia was not ready and it scared her. It scared her because that urge to just dive into a bottle of vodka and forget it all was itching at the back of her mind. The one thing that kept her together was her little family. Her fiancé and their little girl were the best reason to live every moment clean and sober.

"If she starts to fuss, leave the family to me and just hide out in the nursery" Owen chuckled as he wrapped his arms around his fiancé from behind, resting his head on her shoulder. Making the most of their last few moments of calm, Owen thanked a higher power for his little family and the future they had in front of them.

"There is no hiding from the Shepherd's" she chuckled leaning back into his chest gently. Just adding to the list of a million things that could go wrong was Ava and how she'd cope with the sudden onslaught of people in her little world. This Christmas was overwhelming enough for Amelia, she can't imagine how the 8 week old will go with it all.

Owen sensed Amelia's unease and pressed a soft kiss to her temple before turning his two favourite people in his arms. "If at any point this weekend you feel like you need a break just tell me and I will make it happen. If you want me to take Ava I can, if you want some time alone with her I'll distract the family. Just tell me what you need me to do"

"Kiss me"

Happily obliging, Owen brought his hand up to cup Amelia's cheek gently and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Resting their foreheads together, he breathed in both hers and Ava's sweet scent until the doorbell broke their serenity.

"Here we go" Owen chuckled as he made his way to the front door. With Amelia and Ava on his heels, he waited for her silent nod before opening the door and letting the chaos begin.

-x-

Amelia busied herself in the kitchen cutting up vegetables and just trying to get a leg up on the work that would need to be done the next day. For everything Maggie, April, Lizzie and Kathleen were doing for her, Amelia just wanted to make it a little easier on them. Plus it gave her something to do after her daughter was being passed around the family and all attention was on little Ava.

"Doesn't look like you'll get your daughter back anytime soon" Lizzie laughed as she made her way into the kitchen and stole a piece of carrot Amelia was cutting. The 'army' that was the Shepherd family were getting themselves settled putting their bags away and filling the tree with presents and ornaments. Leaving little room for anything else, the multitude of presents were almost engulfing the beautiful Grand Fir Tree that Owen and Amelia had picked out and chopped down themselves. While this wasn't their first Christmas together as a couple, it was their first as parents and the first in their home. They wanted to make it as special as they could.

"Doesn't look like it" Amelia shrugged as she watched her Mom rock back and forth in Owen's recliner completely content in the presence of her newest grandchild. "I'll get her back when those lungs of hers get a workout"

"She gets that from you, y'know. You were a wailer!"

"I was not!"

"Yes you were!" Lizzie laughed vividly remembering the high notes her little sister could hit when she wanted to. As Kathleen came to join them in the kitchen to help, Lizzie pulled her into the argument "Katie, wasn't Amelia a wailer when she was a baby?"

"The worst" Kathleen groaned overdramatically. "Derek made us all ear muffs to dampen the sound"  
"I was not that bad… I wasn't that bad was I?" Amelia sighed softly as she still her motions on the chopping board. Ava hadn't quite made her and Owen reach for the ear muffs but she wasn't far off.

"Yes" Lizzie and Kathleen laughed in unison, both rubbing their little sister's defeated, slumped shoulders. "You haven't heard the worst of it from Ava yet" Kathleen added with a smirk.

"Don't scare her" Nancy piped up who had been watching the interaction from the other side of the kitchen island. After last Christmas and the distance she continued to put between her and her little sister, Nancy wanted to work toward reconciling that. From the minute she walked into the house, she could see Amelia was a completely different person to the one she chose to dwell on. While Nancy might not be able to build the relationship with Amelia similar to the one she holds with Lizzie, she might be able to at least improve what little bond the two sisters did share.

"You weren't that bad, Amy" the eldest Shepherd chuckled "Lizzie was the worst"

"Nancy!" Lizzie gasped with a playful scowl. She thought if anyone was going to play along with their scare tactics it would be Nancy.

"Ha!" Amelia laughed and pegged a piece of carrot at Lizzie.

"Your cries were so piercing Lizzie, they almost broke glass"

The four sisters joked back and forth, laughing in a way they never had in their adult lives, at least not together. What Derek would say if he could see them all now? They were far from the bickering, irritating sisters that he wished he could just get away from sometimes. Besides Addison, they were a big part of his move here to Seattle. How it all comes full circle.

Owen caught Amelia's eye after noticing the quartet all helping one another preparing for Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner. Silently asking his fiancé if she was ok, Owen received a nod in reply. An unfamiliar moment for the sisters it was very much welcomed bringing joy into the house their late brother built for this exact purpose.

-x-

Finally having her daughter back in her arms, Amelia was thankful for the escape they both got from the family. Ava had been getting more and more unsettled as she was passed around the family and by the time she was hungry, the only person she wanted was her Mom.

Sitting down in the rocking chair Owen had made for his little girl, Amelia relaxed back settling herself up to feed her daughter. She draped the pink polka dot blanket over her chest and shoulder knowing that their little moment of sanctuary wouldn't last long. Amelia adored these little moments she got to spend with Ava, giving her daughter something no-one else could. Humming a soft lullaby as they rocked gently back and forth, the young mother took the moment to just enjoy the down time with her little girl. Moments like this would be few and far between over the next few days so she would cherish them while she had them.

Just as she predicted, there was a soft knock at the door. Amelia was pleasantly surprised to see the familiar strawberry locks of her fiancé. "I was just checking my girls were ok" he smiled as he made his way inside and left the door ajar.

"We needed a little break from the crazy" Amelia laughed gesturing for Owen to sit down on the stool beside them. He did just that, pressing a soft kiss to Amelia's forehead before sitting down. "She's done so well though. A lot better than I thought she would"

"So has her Mom. I thought you'd freak out hours ago"

Looking dumbfounded at him, Amelia couldn't believe how little faith he had in her. She wasn't about to tell him that she was surprised at herself. The amount of ways Amelia had imagined this day to go were very different to the actual outcome.

"Knowing that tomorrow could be catastrophically worse has kept me calm today. If Ava and I can handle today, we should be ok tomorrow" she chuckled as she pulled down the blanket, rubbing her thumb gently across her little girl's soft curls. The little strawberry blonde fuzz that was growing on her little head was darkening with every day. Amelia couldn't wait to see her little girl with flame red curls she got only from her Daddy.

"Always the optimist, Mia"

"You know it" she smirked. As Ava was finished, her little blue eyes started to close. Owen took his daughter in his arms so Amelia could fix her top back to normal. Settling back into the rocking chair, Amelia just watched Owen with Ava; her tiny chubby fingers gripping tight to his finger. She adored the bond that the two shared that could never be severed. Ava would always be Daddy's little girl and from the moment they knew they were pregnant, Owen did everything in his power to keep Ava safe.

"We should probably get back out there" Owen sighed softly once he'd burped his little girl and she'd fallen back to sleep.

"Do we have to?" Amelia groaned having pulled her knees to her chest and made herself comfortable. She would happily stay in this little bubble forever with her loving future husband and their beautiful little girl.


End file.
